Twirling baton



34 mil Dec. 29, 1959 J. KAPLAN 2,918,839

TWIRLING BATON Filed Dec. 10, 1957 ENTOR.

JQSEPH KAPLAN BY ATTmvsy TWIRLING BATON Joseph Kaplan, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Application December 10, 1957, Serial No. 701,923

4 Claims. (Cl. 84-477) This invention relates to the art of twirling batons and particularly concerns an improvement in the twirling means therefor.

The invention is directed at a baton which can be handled by a child, who can twirl the baton without requiring any of the particular skills of manual dexterity and coordination of movements required for the adult types of batons used by drum majors and majorettes with marching bands.

A handle is provided which can be grasped securely without slipping from the childs hand during twirling of the baton. The baton may be flipped with a finger or thumb to set it whirling. A friction means is provided whereby the rotation of the baton can be slowed to stop its motion at'will.

It is, therefore, a main object of the invention to provide a baton provided with a handle pivotally joined thereto.

'It is a further object to provide a baton with a handle having a contoured finger grip to insure a firm grasp thereof by the user.

It is a further object to provide a baton which is freely whirlable with respect to a handle and which is provided with manually operable friction means for controlling the speed of motion of'the baton.

For further comprehension of theinvention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of one form of baton embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on lines 22 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 5 are elevational views of other forms of batons according to the invention.

Figs. 4 and 6 are sectional views taken on an enlarged scale on lines 44 and 6-6 of Figs. 3 and 5, respectively.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of a handle according to the invention.

Figs. 8 and 9 are side and front views respectively of a portion of another baton embodying the invention.

Fig. 10 is a side view on an enlarged scale of portions of the baton shown in Fig. 8 showing the friction pad in its operative position and the pin omitted.

In Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a baton 10 having a tapered body or shaft 11 and terminated at its wider end by a ball 12. The shaft and ball are preferably made of a relatively light, rigid material such as aluminum, wood, synthetic plastic, etc. Perpendicularly disposed with respect to the axis AA of the shaft is a cylindrical pin 14 having one end 17 threaded in the body of the shaft and secured against rotation therein by a setscrew 16. An annular flange 18 is integrally formed with the pin. The other end 20 of the pin is threaded to receive the lock nuts 22 and 24 thereon. Between the United States Patent 0 2,918,839 Patented Dec. 29, 1959 flange and lock nuts, the pin has a smooth portion which extends through a bore 25 in the head portion of a handle 28. The pin thus is rotatable in the handle and the shaft is rigidly fixed with respect to the pin which serves as an axle for rotation of the baton.

The handle has a depending handle bar portion 30 formed with finger grip corrugations 32. The axis BB of the depending portion 30 extends parallel to the axis AA of the shaft. By this arrangement, a child can hold the handle securely in one hand and flip the shaft with his thumb so that the shaft rotates on pin 14 as an axis in a plane parallel to the axis BB of the handle. The axis of the pin should preferably pass through the center of gravity of the baton diametrally to insure free rotation of the shaft for a maximum period of time.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the shaft 34 of baton 10A is cylindrical and terminates in balls 33 and 35 at its opposite ends. Pin 36 extends diametrally through a bore 38 in the center of the shaft. The pin 36 is integrally formed with the handle bar 39. A curved hand grip portion 40 extends from the handle bar. The axis of bar 39 is disposed parallel to the plane of rotation .of the longitudinal axis of the shaft. Nuts 41 and 42 prevent the shaft from coming off of the pin 36. Flange 43 is formed on pin 36 between the threaded end 44 thereof and the handle bar 39. This arrangement of the baton permits the shaft to rotate on pin 36 which remains fixed as an axis of rotation for the shaft.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the baton 10B is arranged so that both the handle and shaft are each journaled on the pin 46. A screw 47 and washer 48 are mounted at one end 55 of the pin and another screw 49 and washer 50 are mounted at the other end 56 of .the pin. The pin 46 is disposed in bore 38 so that the shaft is rotatable with respect to the pin. The pin end 56 extends through bore 57 in handle bar 39. Bore 57 has an enlargement 52 in which the washer 50 and screw 49 are disposed. The pin 46 is rotatable with respect to the handle with flange 43 on the pin keeping the handle bar and shaft separated.

In Fig. 7, is shown another form of handle, with handle bar 39 secured to shaft 36 as in Figs. 3 and 4. The hand grip portion 40A is formed with corrugations 32 to insure a more secure hold on the handle during rotation of the shaft of the baton.

In Fig. 8 the pin 60 is shown extending through shaft 34 so that the shaft is rotatable thereon. The pin terminates in a screw 47 and Washer 48 which hold the shaft on the pin. The pin is rigidly formed with the body 62 of the handle which has a depending handle bar 30 provided with finger gripping corrugations 32. Mounted on the body 62 is a leaf spring 64 provided with an inwardly extending end 65 and having a bent catch portion 66 at its free end, as clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 10. This catch portion is disposed to engage a hooked catch portion 68 located at the end of a rigid bracket 70. The bracket supports a rubber friction pad 72 made of rubber or leather. The pad may have a ribbed or roughened surface 71 to increase its frictional effect when pressed against the side of shaft 34 as shown in Fig. 10.

Bracket 70 has a lower arm 74 terminating in a depending link 75. The link is pivotally attached to body 62 by a pintle 77. The link is slotted at 78. A lever is pivoted on body 62 by another pintle 81. The lever 80 has a forwardly extending arm portion 83 carrying a pin 84 which is slidably engaged in the slot 78. A laterally extending finger piece 85 is formed on the free end of lever 80 as clearly shown in Fig. 9.

In operation of the control mechanism shown in Figs. 8-10, the child holding the handle portion 30 can pivot the lever 80 by pressing the finger piece 85 with his thumb. This will cause the bracket 70 to tilt forwardly disengaging catch elements 66 and 68, so that pad 72 on pin 60, this pressure will cause the rotating shaft to stop. By moving the finger rearwardly, the pad 72 will be retracted and catch elements 66, 68 will become engaged so that the user can freely rotate the shaft. In Fig; 8 the pad 72 is shown in a retracted position and in Fig. 10 the pad is shown pressing against the shaft 34. When the pad is retracted, the child can flip the shaft with his thumb to cause it to rotate freely.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that'I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of. the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is: l 1 v 1 A twirling baton, comprising a handle having an elongated handle bar, said bar having an integrally formed finger grip portion, a shaft rotatably secured to the handle bar and rotatable in a plane parallel to the axis of said .handle bar, and manually actuatable friction means carried by said handle for controlling rotation of said shaft.

2. A twirling baton, comprising a handle having a body with a depending elongated handle bar, said bar having an integrally formed finger grip portion, a shaft rotatably secured to the handle bar and rotatable in a plane parallel to the axis of the handle bar, and manually actuatable friction means carried by said handle for controlling r0- tation of said shaft, said means including a member carrying a friction pad, said member being pivotable on said finger grip portion, a shaft terminating at one end in a ball, a pin extending diametrally with respect to the shaft, with the axis of the pin perpendicular to the axis of the shaft and passing through the center of gravity of the shaft, said pin extending perpendicular to the axis of the handle bar, said shaft being rotatably secured to the handle bar, said handle having a body, said bar depending from the body, a bracket member pivotally carried by the body, a friction pad mounted on the bracket to contact the shaft and slow rotation thereof upon pivoting of the bracket toward the shaft, a first catch element terminating said member; another catch element carried by the body and disposed to engage said first catch element when saidmember is pivoted away from the shaft, and a lever pivoted on said body and pivotally linked to said member,-said leverterminating in a finger piece operable to tiltethe pad against the shaft and to retract the pad so that saidcatclr elements become engaged.

4. A twirling baton, comprising a handle having an elongated handle bar, said bar having an integrally formed finger grip portion, a shaft terminating at one end in a ball, a pin extending diametrally; with respect to the shaft, with theaxis of the pin perpendicular to the axis of the shaft and passing through the center of gravity of the shaft, said pin extending perpendicular to the axis of the handle bar, said shaft being rotatably secured to the handle bar, said handle having a body, said bar depending from the body, a bracket member pivotally carried, by the body, a friction pad mountedon the bracket to contact the shaft and slow rotation thereof uponv pivoting of. the bracket toward the shaft, a catch element carried-by said member, a leaf spring carried by said body and having a catch portion disposed to engage said catch element when said member is pivoted away from the shaft, .anda lever pivoted on said body and pivo-tally linked to said member, said lever terminating in a finger piece operable to tilt the pad against the shaft and to retract the pad so that said catch element and said catch portion become engaged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,450,545 Foster Oct. 5, 1948 2,812,683 Harrold et al. Nov. 12, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,004,121 France -Nov. 21, 1951 

